Stuart Barnes slams ‘epidemic of ego-driven’ officiating and calls for TMOs to be ‘fined’
Gloucester taking on Sale Sharks in the Premiership and former Bath star Stuart Barnes.
Former England and Bath fly-half Stuart Barnes insists that the standard of officiating has been harmed by continual interruptions from the television match officials.
The 62-year-old was not impressed by what he saw in the Premiership at the weekend and went on a rant in his Times column.
“Rugby’s authorities need to act to stop this epidemic of either ego-driven interference or misguided support for their mate in the middle,” Barnes wrote.
“Less meddling from the shadows means more freedom for a referee on the pitch — or it should.”
Referee’s lack of ‘authority’
Barnes was particularly irked by the Premiership clash between Gloucester and Sale Sharks, which saw the hosts claim a 36-20 triumph.
The ex-Bath playmaker felt that the referee lacked ‘authority’, potentially as a result of the TMO’s meddling.
“The referee at Gloucester was a relative rookie, Jack Makepeace. It was only his 25th Gallagher Premiership game in charge. The poor man oozed not one ounce of authority,” he wrote.
“When Sale scored a close-range driving try courtesy of Luke Cowan-Dickie, Makepeace was in no position to see whether the hooker had dabbed down, five metres too far from the spot and running on his toes rather than crouching low.
“There are three options when referees ‘go upstairs’ in such instances. They can ask the TMO to confirm their decision that it is a try or no try — or, as Makepeace opted for: ‘Try, yes or no?’ Such an abdication of responsibility is a clear and obvious failure.
“By the end of the match the poor man had Lewis Ludlow asking him whether the game was one of no contact after he carded a Gloucester player for attempting to catch a pass and accidentally colliding with a Sale defender.
“You wanted the whistle to blow for his sake. The referee receives the brickbats but persistent TMO interference can only cloud their brains.”
Making changes
As a result, Barnes would like to see punishment handed out by the relevant governing bodies should the TMOs get involved in an incident which is not “clear and obvious”.
He added: “How do we stop the hungry-for-action TMO? Perhaps with a fine every time they become embroiled in something that is anything but clear and obvious and they are adjudged to be mistaken.
“Rugby, folks, is not about perfection, nor can it ever be. Tiny indiscretions hurt the game infinitely less than these failing teams of officials. If 2025 became the year in which referees regained command, it would be a great one for rugby.”
